Spring-wheel.



G. WEAVER.

SPRING WHEEL. APELIOATION FILED sumas, 1913.

patented Feb.24,1914

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GABE WEAVER, F JELLICO, TENNESSEE.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Feb. 24, 1914.

Application filed J' une 28, 1913. Serial No. 776,422.

To all whoml it may concern n Be it known that I, Gann `WEAVER, a cit1- zen of the United States, residing at J ellico,

in the county of Campbell and State of Tennessee, have invented certain newl and useful Improvements in Spring-Vheels, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention compreliends certain new and useful improvements in spring wheels and relates more particularly to devices which are particularly designed for use upon automobiles or vehicles of a similar nature. I

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a wheel of this type having an outer rim, an inner rim connected thereto by means of a plurality of expansive spiral springs, a hub, rigid spokes connectingl said hub and inner rim, and spring spokes connecting the hub and outer Another object of the invention is to v'provide a spring wheel which shall be of ex# tremely simple construction, cheap to manufacture, strong, durable, and easy to assemble.

The/ invention also aims to generally improve wlieels of this nature to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more .apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention consists in cer- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my iniproved spring wheel, and, Fig. 2A is a sec` f tional view taken upon the plane .of line egizio-f Fig. 1.

In the following description and accompanying drawings, similar parts will be referred to and designated bylike reference,

characters.

,Referring toA the drawings by numerals, 1 designates "an outer rim, 2`-` an inner rim, and 3 aplu1fality` of expansive spiral springs, having their ends threaded into the opposed surfaces` of said rims. The outer rim 1 is formed with a plurality of open-- ings 1 adapted to receive' fastening members for a tire, not shown. A hub f1 is rigidly connected to theinner rim 2, by means lof a plurality of spokes 5, the outer ends of which are seated within the sockets 6 integrally formed upon said inner. rim.; i outer rim 1 is connected to the hub 4 by means of a plurality of springspokes com prising outer section 7 rigidly secured within sockets 8 formed upon the outer rim, inner sections 9 rigidly secured to the hub, and expansive spiral springs 10 which connect the free ends of said inner and outer spoke sections. The opposed ends of the spoke sections l7 and 9 are formed with circular apertures which receive the hooked ends 11 of the spiral springs 10. The outer portions 7 of the spring spokes work through circumfere'ntial slots '12 formed in the inner rim. Brace rods 13 are secured at their outerv ends in the sockets 14 formed upon the inner rim 2, and are connected at their inner ends to the rigid spokes 5, whereby the latter are reinforced. It will be noted that the brace rods 13 are connected in pairs "to The the spokes 5 and that the rods opposing each pair converge inwardly. To further strengthen ymy improved wheel so as to prevent lateral movement of the hub 4 relative to the rims 1 and 2, I provide the circular i brace bands 15, which 'are connected 'to each other upon opposite sides of the spokes and brace bars, by means of the fastenings 1G.

Each o'f the 'fastenings 16 encircles one of the spokes 5, thereby securely positioning the brace bands,

lThe foregoing description will suffice for a clear understanding o-f the construction of my improved wheel, the operation of which is as follows: A downward pressure upon the hub l1 tends to compress those expansive springs 3 which happen to be nearest to ,theground and to expand the spiral springs-'10 which are' positioned diametrically opposite the first mentioned springs.

The slight movement of the hub and inner rim relative to the outer rim, is provided for by the circumferential slots 12. It will` thus be seen that all jars incidental to rough roads are absorbed by the expansive and contractile springs.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my. invention, I

do not wish to lbe limited to this exact con struction and arrangement of parts, but may make suoli changes as will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention;

Having thus described my invention what I claim' is A spring Wheel comprising an outer rini, un inner rim, expansive spiral springs connecting said inner and outer riins, a hub, n plurality of rigid spokes connecting the hub and inner rim, e pair of outwardly diver gent brace rods connected at their inner ends to each of said spokes and et their' outer ends to the inner rim, said inner rim being formed with a plurality of circumferential slots between each set of brace rods,ziplural ity of spring spokes connecting the outer rim to the hub, each ofsaid spring spokes comprising a relntirely long outer section liXed to the outer rim and passing through one of said slots, a relatively short inner section fixed to the hub and a spring oonnection between said sections; and a pair of annular brace bands positioned upon opposite sides of the wheel, andI ineens connecting said bands to the rigid spokes and to one another, the bands crossing the rigid spokes, brace rods and the outer sections of the spring spokes.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GABE VEAVER.

Witnesses:

D. T. JENKINS, SrEPHEN SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

